Missing diver in Sabang, Puerto Galera, Philippines.

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jerbee

Contributor
Messages
150
Reaction score
58
Location
Baton Rouge, LA / Puerto Galera, Philippines
# of dives
I'm a Fish!
For some reason it doesn’t seem like this has hit the news yet, but on the 1st a Chinese diver diving with Dawei dive shop in Sabang went missing on a dive in the Canyons off Sabang Beach. My understanding is he’s pretty experienced, fit, about 50, has been to Sabang yearly for the last 6 years, knew the sites, and did UW photography. The dive shop was irresponsible when it came to that dive, though, letting him go to the Canyons (which has a pretty strong current most of the time) during an ebbing tide on a new moon... the tide went from 2.5 feet to -0.4 feet, and the best guess is he was blown out from the site and perhaps had a medical issue... in any event, this should serve as a cautionary story that even if you’re an advanced diver and know the area, you still have to be aware of conditions at the site, including tides if those could be a factor. Helicopters are still scouring the area but after 3 days it’s gone from a “search and rescue” to just a “search”. It’s a shame, and I’m sorry to hear about this happening, and really wish certain dive shops would be a bit more proactive in their approach towards ensuring diver safety. Some things can’t be planned for, but this was completely preventable - the shop I’m at cancelled the dives to the Canyons that same day due to the tide tables, so it wasn’t something “out of the blue” that would have caught someone who was prepared unaware. Best wishes to his family and I hope that they find him, even if he’s passed away (which is likely after so long) so the family can have some closure.
 
The Canyon dive ends in the bottomless deep blue where the safety stop is done IIRC. Slim chance of finding a body over there.

My prayers for the departed.

P
 
Chinese diver missing in Puerto Galera
CITY OF CALAPAN – A Chinese diver was reported missing in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro on Monday.

Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, information officer of the Mimaropa police, said Ou Zhang Xiang, went missing after diving with three other Chinese nationals at Canyon Point in Barangay Sabang at around 5:32 p.m.



Rosalinda Demapelis, a dive shop owner, reported the incident to the police at around 6:15 p.m.

Search and rescue operations are being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard as of posting time.



Read more: Chinese diver missing in Puerto Galera
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Complacency is evil!
 
:( I have not heard of that dive shop. In any case, who are you diving with in PG? Good on them for making a call about not diving there given conditions.

I hope they find him. It will help with closure for his family and friends.
 
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